A Porcelain Heart
by Goofy-Charli
Summary: In a country filled with murderers, thugs, gangs, and thieves - Fai feels more alone than ever. In a moment of madness he seeks comfort in an obscure place, not realising the attention he was craving was in front of him. Fai-centric.


**A Porcelain Heart**

Fai stared at the glistening vase in awe and let his thoughts wander. He considered his options for the fifth time. The shopkeeper was outside talking to an eager customer, he was in the darkest corner of the shop, and he was completely alone.  
_There would be no witnesses._  
Fai stroked the side of the vase lovingly – it was so beautiful. It was an elegant shade of green, probably made of porcelain, and was decorated with filigree-like swirls of gold and marble white. It seemed so lonely and out of place in the grungy store.  
_Just like me…  
_Fai bent down until he was eye level with the vase, "Why do you intrigue me so?" he asked it. It did not respond. Fai did not expect it would. It was, after all, an inanimate object._  
_The door jingled as the shopkeeper walked back inside. With a long and heavy sigh Fai walked away, but glanced back at the vase once more before leaving.

The country the group had landed in was called Gragin. It was said to be the most wretched place in the universe. Gragin was filled with murderers, thugs, gangs, thieves, men and women with very little morals 'working the streets' and any other scoundrel of any shape and size. The houses were damaged and dirty, and the water unclean. Fai and the rest of the group were advised to not walk around outside alone at night – especially the young princess Sakura.  
_Trust no-one, right? _Fai thought.  
He could see the inn they were lodging at up ahead, but was in no mood to return to the others. Instead he decided to go for a stroll, ignoring the fact that it was getting darker every minute.

Fai's thoughts ventured back to the vase. The beautiful vase he had stared at for long, yet simply walked away from.  
_Seems like that's all I ever do, _Fai thought, _walk away from everything. I wish, just for once, that I could do something – anything – without having to think of others or the consequences. Just do something because I want to…  
_Fai looked up at the appearing stars and considered going home; but another idea forming in his mind was much more appealing. With no further thoughts, he whipped around and bolted back down the street he had come from. He stopped, panting and puffing, outside of a familiar door.

The shop was closed of course, and locked. This did not faze the young blonde in the slightest. He had spent so long in there earlier and as a result had memorised the layout of the place. As quick and silent as a mouse, Fai dashed around the side of the store where he knew there would be a window. It only took a few hard nudges before the rotten wood of the window frame came loose and the whole pane fell out. With his incredibly fast reflexes, Fai managed to catch it before it hit the ground, though he winced in pain when a large splinter stabbed into his palm. He leaped in, scanned the room for his target, grabbed the delicate object and scrambled back out of the window in under three minutes.

Fai threw the pane into a nearby river to destroy as much evidence as possible and continued on to the inn. His body was pumped with adrenaline and his mind full of satisfaction and excitement. The stunning vase he had admired earlier was tucked safely under his arm.  
_I've got it! _He thought, _I wanted it and now I've got it! And I didn't even have to pay.  
_The magician glanced at the vase, "How does something as beautiful as you end up in a place like this?"  
This time it did respond, in its own way. It no longer seemed as lonely, and now it was sparkling brilliantly in the moonlight rather then collecting dust in the back corner of a store.  
"Don't worry little fellow, I'm going to give you the home you deserve!" Fai exclaimed to the open sky. He ran past the dodgy people on the streets before they even had the chance to mug him and before long he was safe behind the door of his rented room. Exhausted from his little adventure, Fai tucked the vase under his bed and crawled under the covers. For once, he did not have a nightmare – instead he dreamt of green, gold and white; and glistening in the moonlight with his new friend, the only one he knew he could trust.

* * *

This idea just came to me one night, and I thought Fai having a friendship with an inanimate object was so insane it was beautiful. I am thinking about continuing it, but only if I get a good response. If enough people like it I'll write more.


End file.
